Mother's Day Tea

Mother's Day Tea is a big celebration at my school.  All the classes prepare a special performance and gift for their moms.  We believe in appreciating the moms.  This year I was the MC for the performances.  In the classroom you can see 22 children squished together with 22 mommies.  It was a special time for moms and children to talk and bond together.

The Sounds of a Family

So my skype video hasn't been working lately.  Every time I have skyped with my sister and her family or my parents I haven't been able to see them.  In some ways this has been frustrating, because I love seeing my family and dear ones.  Seeing them across the distance helps them feel closer and like you aren't so far away.

Well I was skyping last night with my sister and again I could not see her and the babies, but I could hear them.  Lot's of funny baby talking going on that you can tell is communication even though it makes absolutely no sense.  Lot's of playing noises and then whining noises too.  hahah

My sister started playing the piano and singing.  It was so beautiful.  Yes, I may have not been able to see, but I could hear all those wonderful sounds.  And the wonderful sounds comforted me, because they are the sounds of a family.  When you live alone you don't have the sounds of other people in your daily life unless it is your neighbors baby crying, dog barking or late night piano practicing.  Listening to those sounds comforted me, because it reminded me of when I was apart of a family and all the crazy family daily life noises that bustle about you.  It made me feel like I was home.

Living alone has it's benefits, especially in a city of 8 million people...you gotta have your solitude.  However, I am a family person and not having my own family creating their own family noises makes me a little sad.  I surely never thought I would still be single, living alone in a foreign country at the very soon age of 34.  I am so grateful for what God has chosen to give me, but if I had, had my way in the 3 past dead and over relationships, then I would be surrounded by babies and arguments and whining and dogs barking and piano practicing and lawn mowers...the sounds of a family...a family of my own.

How to Sweat Like a Swede

So today I did something so fun!!!!  I did HEYAROBICS!  It's a super duper fun swedish exercise.  I met a group of random people at Victoria Park in Hong Kong.  We did crazy arobics to funky loud music in the grass in the park.  Running, squats, jumping, punching the air, dancing, pushups to Darth Vader music.  I had great fun.  Smiles, yelling and shouting were seen and heard amid the music and exercise.  I left one giant sweaty mess, but my heart was happy.  It was fun to be crazy in a public park dancing and exercising while random onlookers took pictures and laughed.  I think I will be a HEYAROBICS addict:)  If you want to find out more, then click on the link.

http://www.heyrobics.com/

Mission Trip to Pailin, Cambodia

Over the Easter holiday I travelled to Cambodia with 3 other teachers from my school.  Our mission was to go to the rural school in Pailin and train the local teachers and instruct the children in geometry lessons, Bible lessons, art and P.E. lessons.  It was my first experience to work in a school with no running water or electricity.  The students were so sweet and respectful.  Here is a link to a slideshow I made of the pictures.

 http://secure.smilebox.com/ecom/openTheBox?sendevent=4d7a59304d6a59354d4446384f4449314e4467784d6a6b3d0d0a&sb=1

Character Day

Today was Book Character Day at school.  We are in the middle of a Readathon.  Students and teachers dressed up as a character from a book.  There was the Cat in the Hat, Sensai Wu, Erik the Red, the Giving Tree, Huckleberry Fin, Mr. Twit, Abraham Lincoln, and Camilla Cream.  I was Camilla Cream from A Bad Case of Stripes.  It was a fun day and nice to dress up and act like a different character.

Macau Tower Mast Climb

 Before the climb we all got our gear on.  I had no idea what I had gotten myself into.

 Posing before the climb.  I did not know how important all that gear was to save my life.

 Up quite high, attached by a rope and hanging out on a ledge.

 So this is the world's highest urban climb.  I had no idea.  We are using our sliders as guns.

 Sophia, the organizer, and I super stoked to be up so high.

 Climbing up outside was more nerve wracking then climbing inside, because you are exposed to the elements and can see how high you are.

 Taking my slider off so I can climb up the next phase.

 Living life on the edge!!!!

 I climbed to the top!

Never in my life would I have thought of climbing the Macau tower, but a friend organized us and said let's do it.  I really didn't know what I had gotten myself into, but I must say it was exhilerating, exciting, scarey, encouraging, and confidence building.  Thankfully I didn't get blisters on my hands.  My arms are not too sore from it, but surprisingly my legs are more sore than my arms.  Well now I can say I've climbed the Macau Tower.

Lion Dance

I met a friend for breakfast at the local neighbourhood restaurant.  We were enjoying our meal and conversation and then all of a sudden a loud clanging and drumming interrupted us.  I screamed, because it scared me.  But it was only a lion dance.  The martial art companies train to do lion dancing and drumming and then at the new year time get hired to perform around Hong Kong.  It was quite the show.  After the dance the lions came into the restaurant and people would give them red packets and have their picture taken with them.

The Second Day of the Year of the Snake

 The two Americans in the group united in spirit and in colour.

New Year meal with friends.

 Nikia and I.

 A tree walking toward the Star Ferry.

Waiting at the IFC to watch the fireworks over Victoria Harbour.

The second day of the year of the snake was very special for me.  I dressed up in traditional clothes to meet with my church friends for lunch.  They are such beautiful, precious people and I feel home and comfortable with them.  I left them for awhile to meet up with my friend from Russia who was visiting. It was good to catch up with her as I hadn't seen her in two years.  Then I waited at the IFC to watch the fireworks.  It was such a great view.  I waited for 2 hours outside in front of the Red Bar on the rooftop terrace garden, but it was worth the wait.  I met a nice lady traveling from England and her son bought me a drink while we waited for the fireworks.  It was a hopeful second day for me.  Though things in your life come to an end there is always a future and a hope.

Chinese Lunar New Year Fair

 Never Give UP!

 Look closely...can you see Jesus?  Can you see the ninja??

Put gas in your can.  Or use more gas.

So the Chinese Lunar New Year Fair is held a couple days before the new year.  People usually go to these fairs to buy fresh flowers and plants to bring into their homes.  But there are also alot of other strange things sold at the fair.  Like these banners.  It is the tradition at Chinese New Year to put red papers outside your door with good, lucky sayings.  Usually you see the chinese character 'fu,' which means blessing.  These red banners at the fair were so funny and strange.

Gypsy Jazz at the Fringe Club

I'm so grateful to have found some Gypsy Jazz music in Hong Kong.  Live music can be hard to come by in Hong Kong.  But low and behold there is a great group called Gadjo Station playing the sweet sonorous sounds of French Gypsy Jazz with some American Jazz standards thrown in.  Of course the swingers will follow live music like this and were out in pairs to dance to these great tunes.

Spring Greetings with a Dear Friend

Pink Lanters

Anne and I

Spring time theme

My dear friend returned from Canada to Hong Kong.  She was my teaching assistant last year.  She is a God fearing women, kind-hearted, and ready to pray about anything.  I was so blessed to work with her.  She always knew when to give you a piece of chocolate or lay hands and pray over you and over a struggling student.  When she returned from Canada she called me and wanted to meet up for a tea.  So we met up in this CNY time.  So special.  You can see the CNY decorations in the mall.  Lots of pink lanterns and pink blossoming trees to represent the spring festival.

Swing Dancing in Hong Kong

I am so grateful for the Hong Kong Swing Club.  The fact that there is American swing dancing in Hong Kong was a big motivation for me to want to move to Hong Kong.  Every Wednesday night there are free social dances in an Italian restaurant, Grappas Cellar.  Dancing lifts the spirits and listening to such great Jazz music is inspirational and makes me feel like I'm back in the USA.

Hike To Tai Tam Reservoir

My dragon boat team is starting to get into physical condition.  We have been going on hikes on the weekends.  Today we went to the Tai Tam Reservoir.  It was a 10K hike.  Very nice group of people.  I made new friends with people from Belgium, Spain and Iran.  Looking forward to many more hikes with my team.

BBQ on Lantau

Lantau Island is the island that you would fly into if you ever come to Hong Kong.  It is a quite beautiful and isolated island with many beaches and mountains that you can hike.  My good friends Matet and Matthias live on the island.  They recently had a nice little BBQ by the beach.  Nothing like Phillippino BBQ with Italian wine, good conversations, and fun pictures by the beach.